The Jericho Mile (1979 TV Movie) User Reviews

Run until the walls come tumblin' down

[Wuchakk · 6/10 · 25 December 2019]

A loner at Folsom State Penitentiary (Peter Strauss) gains attention when it's discovered that he can run a mile in less than four minutes. Officials naturally try to see if they can enter him in the Olympics. The cast includes Brian Dennehy, Geoffrey Lewis, Richard Lawson, Roger E. Mosley and Ed Lauter.

"The Jericho Mile" (1979) is a prison movie meshed with sports flick. It's notable as Michael Mann's first movie wherein he was limited by TV constraints, yet it shows his potential and explains why he moved on to greatness, e.g. "The Last of the Mohicans" (1992).

Being made-for-TV, profanity is replaced by wannabe edgy jive talk, which can be unintentionally amusing. If you can roll with that, this is a worthwhile serious story about great talent being trapped in a cage, not to mention the brotherhood of humanity regardless of skin color. I could relate to Strauss' character and I imagine a lot of other viewers can too.

The movie runs 1 hour, 37 minutes, and was shot at Folsom State Penitentiary, Represa, California, about an hour northeast of Sacramento. Several of the peripheral cast members were prisoners at Folsom and do a commendable job.

GRADE: B-

great film, not common enough

[awatters1 · 8/10 · 22 September 2002]

An interesting and involved film about a "lifer" just trying to live out his days peacefully. Elements of the main character appear in Michael Mann's later films, like Thief (1981), Heat (1995), and so on. You can see this one at the UCLA Instructional Media Laboratory-- one of the only places in the country that has copies readily available to the public. It's a great one!

Michael Mann Start

[shelbythuylinh · 8/10 · 15 December 2021]

Really Peter Strauss steals every scene there and in the playing lifer Larry "Rain" Murphy who is sentenced for killing his abusive stepfather after molesting his sister sexually.

Prefer being alone and has nothing in his cell to play it hard and deserves it and would do it again he tells a crowd of Olympic and prison authorities.

He only has one thing and running and how that he gets their attention there. And in the respect of his prison comrades later on. Knowing that he has a chance for Olympic glory despite his predicament.

Strauss is in every single scene there. Both with the late Ed Lauter as the track coach and the late Geoffrey Lewis as a psychologist who tries to let him open up about his past.

Brilliant all around!

Powerful Film 24 years later

[dantorpk · 25 April 2003]

The power of this film stuns me even today. It has all the trademarks of a Michael Mann film, including the line that appears in all his works about the 'man' inventing a hard time that some character cannot handle. This may be the first time that line was used, and argueably, the most effective. Simple story of a simple man who made a decision, and had the guts to face the consequences. He never denies what he did, regrets that it happened, but would do nothing different, given the chance, nor does he try to escape the consequences. Rain Murphy is a man who denies himself all of the creature comforts of civilization. He has no TV or no photos in his cell, no books, only the essentials. He does not work as an inmate, because he denies himself the things he would use his meager pay to buy. He is punishing himself for his crime. He rejects the idea of running in the Olmypics, or even trying, because it would disrupt his new life. A life where he runs until he cannot walk, then zones out until he cannot talk stretching his muscles. A shock to Murphy's system changes all of this, he buys into the dream of competing, only to be cheated. Murphy's final act of defiance is memorable. Mann might have gotten more polished over the years, this film shows talent always delivers

Strauss is convincing in an otherwise confusing TV movie.

[emm · 6/10 · 11 April 1999]

THE JERICHO MILE scores a qualifying time for presenting a determined Peter Strauss who gives this one a good amount of stamina. His role is an inmate who has the love and desire for running. In a prison world filled with intolerance, he wants a chance to return to society again by changing his ways and become an Olympic hopeful. This must be a cross between CHARIOTS OF FIRE and the cult classic PENITENTIARY, and while it has its own variety of moments, the film is better off confused by focusing heavy on racial violence and rapid-fire tensions. It should have greatly kept up with showcasing the spirit of "flying high" into the wide open spaces. Otherwise, a good and honest effort in displaying harsh prison life to the screen, but don't expect much in terms of hope and glory.

If you like speed, you'll love this!

[Sonatine97 · 7/10 · 1 July 2000]

I would have totally forgotten about this film had it not been for the fact that I was originally going to review James Caan in Thief. And noticed purely by accident that Michael Mann had directed both.

Peter Strauss plays perhaps his best, certainly his most energetic role to date. Facing a term in a hard prison for murder his only real freedom is running...around a track!

This gets noticed by the prison sports coach and after a few scrapes & dramas he finds he is able to compete in the Olympics, only to be refused by the prison board unless he admits to his crime.

A very simple, but moving film, of a man's fight for justice and to live out his passion for the track. The cinematography is quite good although perhaps lingers a little too long on the slow mo shots of Strauss's sinewy body as he runs around the track.

But the upbeat music goes hand in hand with the story, although there is perhaps too much pathos in-between. The story gets sidetracked with social issues such as prison racism & violence, which to be honest we've seen elsewhere in other prison movies and so isn't really needed here.

We also get to see glimpses of Mann's directing - the style found in his latter films such as Thief & Heat can just be seen in development here, but everything is very much understated & conservative which being a TV movie on a limited budget meant he probably wasn't allowed to explore & experiment.

A good upbeat movie with a main message of hope & freedom lying from within, but which becomes muddled with too much political correctness.

***/*****

Unforgettable...!!!!

[jackshawII · 10/10 · 24 February 2005]

I watch a lot of movies - DVD, features, and classics, you name it. The night I watched JERICHO MILE, my wife (who had ordered it on the internet) said she remembered it from when she was in high school, that it had stayed with her all of these years. Somewhat reluctantly I sat down (with our daughter & son), and was riveted from the opening sequence to the end titles. We all were.

She, who remembered the original, and our kids (18 and 16) who had no idea what the movie was about couldn't believe it. Our favorite scene? Bar none, when peter Strauss so passionately bangs his fist down and says, "i'd do it AGAIN!". It didn't advocate violence because it was a defense crime, but evoked such intensity we couldn't believe it...when his fellow cell mates gave him their food in support of his efforts, there wasn't a dry eye in our house.

Someone please make more movies like this one. UNBELIEVABLE!!

I've never given a movie a 10 out of 10 before...

[Mudflap · 10/10 · 7 May 1999]

I've never given a movie a ten out of ten before but this is the closest I have ever come (I gave it a 9). There are very few movies that I truly love, this however is one of them. With it's gritty realism, fantastic on-site locationing, and it's great soundtrack it literally blew my young mind when I first saw it in 1979. At that point I didn't know about prisons, violence, racial tensions, or the struggle to survive & live free. I doubt that anyone who is an adult, or for that matter anyone who is growing up in todays world could be impacted by this film in the same way I was all those years ago, but I will say this: "if you haven't seen this movie I envy you"; this is because you have the chance to see this great film for the frist time. For each of us they're different, but here's to the rarest movies of them all: the ones we actually love...

When they take away your dreams, take them back

[MichaelMovieLoft · 10/10 · 23 May 2003]

I watched the this the other night on a local station because I didn't feel like watching tripe like 'American Idol'. Peter Strauss gives a great performance as a convict named 'Rain' Murphy who keeps to himself. He admits to his crime and makes no bones that he feels no shame for it. His cell is bare of any comforts that other inmates have like books and pictures. The only time he feels in another zone is in running. He does it often and can run a mile in under four minutes. When a college coach hears about this, he wants to prime him for a shot at the Olympics. At first, 'Rain' wants no part of this, but when his best friend is killed, he shows interest.

This is a good movie, period. Strauss is very good (What did you expect, anything less?) and Michael Mann shows hints of greatness that would come full bloom years later. This movie had that bit of realism (probably because it was filmed among convicts). It almost feels like this was a true story. The additional casting is good. There is a lot of notable names like Brian Dennehy, Roger E. Mosley, and Richard Moll as well.

My heart sank when some pompous board of directors wouldn't let him run because he didn't feel bad for his crime. His final act made me stand up and cheer. When they took his dreams away, he took them back hard. This was back when TV movies were actually good. 'The Jericho Mile' is a gem of a film. ESPN Classic, PLEASE SHOW THIS FILM!!!

The Jericho Mile (1979)

[MartinTeller · 4/10 · 4 January 2012]

You can see a few blossoming Mann-erisms in this early TV movie. The stoic, loner hero with nothing left to lose, the use of popular music (in this case, instrumental knock-offs of Rolling Stones tunes). What's lacking is any sense of style. Blame it on the limitations of television productions at the time, but the whole thing feels really flat. The performances are terrible (even Dennehy) and the dialogue is a joke. It all seems so clichéd and silly and strikes the wrong dramatic tones. When you're laughing at a drop-dead serious scene of someone getting shanked, there's a problem. And because the grittiness is watered down by television restrictions, it feels like a community theater version of prison life. And the less said about the tacked-on racial tension subplot, the better. In the lead, Peter Strauss does a pretty good job but even he has some lemon moments (like the outburst in the counselor's office). I don't think Mann's necessarily at fault for the film's failures, there aren't a whole lot of good TV movies from the 70's. Two years later, he'd make THIEF, my favorite by him.

One of the best TV movies ever made!

[JimHammond · 5 July 2002]

This movie was exceptional. It tells the story of a man who, after he was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing his father-in-law when he found him raping his sister, sets out to become a world-class runner. It not only gave a realistic portrayal of prison life, but also deftly portrays the mentality of someone who is serving such a sentence. Peter Strauss played the role perfectly. Along with "Rich Man, Poor Man", this movie was probably the best performance of his career.

Probably the best scene in this movie was when Murphy was before the civilian board trying to get permission to run in the race and he sees right through the man's preconceptions and bigotry concerning convicts. This man did not see Murphy as a person but rather as something other than what he was. Very rarely has such passion and intelligence come from a made-for-TV movie.

Absolutely superlative and does not become dated

[DottoreHolliday · 9/10 · 6 April 2009]

A film that deserved theatrical release. This made-for-television movie is a cinematic gem that exemplifies the technique of Michael Mann with stirring contemporary music tightly integrated to the visual images. Always with Mr. Mann, the amplification of impact by the music is almost as if there is an invisible academy-award-winning actor added to the ensemble of cast, writer, director and cinematographer.

This film is definitely one of my all time favorites. While nothing is perfect, this film comes very, very close.

Along with an excellent script, great direction and masterful acting by Richard Strauss, there is an all-star ensemble of character actors at their finest: Roger Mosely; Brian Dennehy; Ed Lauter; Geoffrey Lewis; Richard Moll; Miguel Pinero; William Prince; Burton Guilliam; Ji-Tu Cumbuka; Richard Lawson and Billy Green Bush. You may not recognize the names, but you will recognize every face.

If this comes on TV, sit down with popcorn, turn up the sound for an amazing soundtrack and score, and prepare to be riveted for the 97 minutes of the film. I highly recommend recording it, since it is only available on VHS and DVD from Holland and the DVD is region 2 encoded.

My favorite prison movie.

[wayne-2 · 9/10 · 22 October 2001]

I really enjoyed this movie - I like prison movies in general (I'm not sure why -- I'm sure some shrink could make something out of it!) I spent one night in jail more than 20 years ago, and I knew then I would never go back - I got the individual version of "scared straight"! (I did get locked up in an isolation cell on Alcatraz for a couple of hours, compliments of a park ranger, but that's another story!) Anyway, the genre really interests me. The soundtrack, specifically "Sympathy for the Devil" by the Rolling Stones, was the perfect backdrop for the film. To this day, I think of "The Jericho Mile" every time I hear the song.

Yes, it really is worth watching!!

[ttaskmaster · 10/10 · 4 February 2010]

Peter Strauss, by nature of appearing in mini-series and made-for-TV films, often gets an unfairly high proportion of bad reviews - Usually from casual observers who saw ten minutes of the film, having channel-hopped into it half-way through. Well, I've just read all the other 20 reviews for this film and am delighted to see not a single bad word said about The Jericho Mile - That should be enough to have you blasting out to buy this film!!

Peter Strauss won an Emmy for his role in this film and watching it even once will show you why he deserved it so much....

Looking to be objective, I attempted to criticise this film. Instead, I found myself arguing down every one of my possible nit-picks. This is what true, realistic film-making is about. This is not your typical Hollywood sensationalism, where everything is overacted - It's so realistic and true to life that people have thought it's based on a real event!!

The Little Inmate that Could

[nikitalinivenko · 1/10 · 14 November 2020]

Wow. Another inspirational TV sports movie. Flat, recycled paper-thin plot about a guy (this one's an inmate serving life) who can run fast. So his supporters encourage him to run fast. But the man keeps trying to keep him down. Then he does it. He runs. Then runs faster. Then crosses the finish line. Spectators cheer. He tosses the stop-watch. It smashes against a wall (Yeah! You go! That'll show the man! I mean, he still has you caged up and always will, but that'll show'em!) Freeze frame on our sweaty, muscular hero with his handsome 70's 'stache, like a real man. The end. The cliche shot of the hero bursting across the finish line, arms thrown out, is, of course, on the poster. And the scenery's real far-out - ah, dig those bland gray Folsom walls, captured in the full glory of a 70's TV set. And it won, count'em - three Emmy's! Because it's not like they give them out to just anyone.

One of the best TV movies I've ever seen

[LetsPoddy · 19 July 2002]

I've seen The Jericho Mile several times. In fact it's on my TV right now as I type this. I've always thought it was one of the best TV movies ever. Peter Strauss is outstanding in this role.

To sum things up...if you haven't seen The Jericho Mile, it's definitely worth a watch.

Watched this when I was in grade 9

[shirinm · 10/10 · 27 September 2018]

While all the other students watched a made for tv movie called Sooner or Later with Rex Smith and Denise Miller I was fortunate enough to watch this on the same weekend with my dad. Well made well acted, to pull on the heartstrings film. I heard it was even released theatrically in Europe and is was better than most of the films out that year. Peter Strauss does an amazing job as well as the rest of the cast. You cannot help but love Strauss' character and route for him all the way. Not only one of the best movies made for tv but for me also great memories with my dad.

the Jericho mile is a great movie and this is what i have to say.

[mcarter1945 · 10/10 · 10 December 2009]

i love watching the Jericho mile. i mean watching peter Strauss run the mile is like watching usain bolt sprint the 100 meter. i think peter Strauss is a excellent actor and should do another running movie. he is lightning fast has great energy and can run a mile in under 4 minutes and that my friend is amazing. no man alive can out race rain Murphy i mean the man runs 80 mile a week no one does that but him. i've watched the Jericho mile 100's of times and will watch it 100's more. great movies get watched more than movies that are not. i thank the makers of this film for giving years of there lives to make it.they are great people and i bless them all.thank you for letting me get my word out again thank you all.

Run Baby Run

[shawnschmelzle · 10/10 · 11 August 2006]

The first time I saw this film I was a kid. I was ten years old when it was released but since my family never went to movie theaters I saw it on Network TV. I remember watching it alone…and crying afterward. It was only the second film to illicit that response (Rocky was the first) and there haven't been many since. I can't say why exactly; Larry "Rain" Murphy didn't deserve to win any more that Rocky Balboa or anyone else. I know I admired Murphy, not so much for what he did, but for the way he did his time. Stoic. He didn't need a stopwatch or freedom to find dignity. He ran because he could. He needed no other reason. I have a rule today, that when I see this film late at night on cable television (the only time most will come across it) I must watch, no matter what I have to do the next morning. Fortunately it doesn't play often like Shawshank Redemption or other favorites, so I still get plenty of sleep and I never tire of the story of one man's unrepentant imprisonment and personal victory.

DVD Release?

[ScottLabrecque · 28 April 2004]

You know, all the copyright holder for this flick would need to do is put this on a DVD with some documentary/behind the scenes stuff, or a copy of the original story, and i'd shell out money.

Good movies get bought, period.

This is another reason why people pirate flicks, most of the films we see are filler and fluff and hype, and nothing more.

We need more movies like THIS available

Made for tv movies usually get a bad rap. The only bad rap I can give this movie is it's VHS only release.

Ben Affleck may have been "the bomb in Phantoms", but Straus was the bomb in THIS flick.

Best Film ever made!!!!

[Twi777 · 10/10 · 23 February 2005]

I read on the web that this film is being remade into a theatrical feature. Finally!!!!! It's about time Hollywood got their act together. The big Studios always frown at edgy material, with Oscar written all over it. Go figure!!

JERICHO MILE was made ahead of it's time. It's a masterpiece.

Michael Mann, a true visionary, found a way to engage an audience without overindulgence. Peter Strauss' Emmy award performance is probably the best character role I've seen in my film-viewing lifetime. Any actor who touches this role will never be the same (unless an Academy Award is already sitting on their mantle).

The gritty multi ethnic ensemble, a backdrop for THE JERICHO MILE makes one understand the delicate social dynamics of our world. This is about redemption without public validation, and the power of the human spirit overcoming all barriers. Imagine a convict imprisoned since he was a teenager for life with no chance of parole, that doesn't know he is possibly the fastest runner in the world. ...what would you do??

This movie makes you walk away feeling you haven't been cheated on any level. Totally thrilling, engaging, emotional, and a "Rolling Stones" soundtrack that kick's ass!!!

I always thought this would be made for the big screen... Can't wait...!!! In the meantime I'll have to continue re-watching my weathered VHS copy I've had for many years.

You can't cage the human spirit

[Woodyanders · 9/10 · 19 October 2021]

Lifer convict Larry "Rain" Murphy (superbly played with tremendous passion and conviction by Peter Strauss) ventilates his frustration by running around the yard. When Murphy shows potential as an Olympic runner, he gets a chance to actually be sprung from prison.

Director/co-writer Michael Mann brings a refreshingly stark and unsentimental sensibility to this gripping and potent tale of redemption and thwarted unrealized talent that also serves as an astute exploration of racial tension and power plays behind bars, with Murphy's final act of quiet defiance standing out as a strong example of the triumph of the human spirit against impossible odds. Moreover, it's an especially nice and inspired touch to have almost everyone who helps Murphy out have their own agendas for doing so.

The tip-top cast helps a lot: Richard Lawson as Murphy's easygoing pal R. C. Stiles, Roger E. Mosley as the formidable Cotton Crown, Geoffrey Lewis as altruistic psychologist Dr. Bill Janowski, Brian Dennehy as cocky top con Dr. D, Billy Green Bush as the cagey Warden Earl Gulliver, Ed Lauter as nurturing coach Jerry Beloit, Richard Moll as hulking brute Joker Gibb, William Prince as a smarmy race official, Miguel Pinero as the shrewd Rubio, and Burton Gilliam as wormy flunky Jimmy-Jack. Filmed at Folsom Prison with inmates as extras, this superior TV movie has a gritty authenticity and wrenching poignancy that's as powerful as it is undeniable.

Started my interest in Mann movies

[saamikans32 · 10/10 · 5 January 2023]

I was a kid when this came out, and it had a big effect on me--enough of an effect that I made it a point to see every Michael Mann film in the theater or on TV or streaming... but yes I have seen them all. Without spoiling anything, the acting is great, and the exploration of in prison life--it was the first time I saw a movie that seemed like it might be more introspective. Many movies involving prison scenes are comical or OTT etc. The writing and people feel genuine. Main leads Richard Lawson and Peter Strauss are excellent. There is one scene that amazed me--Peter Strauss character is in canteen/dining hall of the prison and other inmates who in prior scenes who were dismissive or threatening etc leave him food as they walk by his table--not the crap but the food that is what everyone wants more of... milk, bananas... the good stuff. Not sure why but it was very touching. Made for TV, and a an excellent story.

A Very Food Film

[abcceo · 30 May 2002]

I have seen the Jericho Mile many times during the past 13 years. It is a very good film that strongly survives the passage of time.

My life's experiences as a champion miler and studies of the prison system confirms the validity of the movie. Racism is one of the major elements of prison life, along with basic food, and very limited medical attention and exercise. Running is one of the only available exercises that would be allowed in the prison environment. The only questionable statement made by the movie is "can a man on a prison diet achieve world record time in the mile run" When I ran and set the Georgia High School Mile record, diet was very important to a runner.

Prisons would not allow special diet. Be assured, the movie is real, and Peter Strauss gives a great performance of a man tormented by his own demons. Believe the movie. That's the way it is...

see this one!

[karsal · 10/10 · 26 May 1999]

This is a great movie. The best role Peter Strauss ever did. The music is good, the message harsh, the actors great and the story is both emotional and raw. Only in the seventies did they make them like this one!